Chapter 11.

Tosh couldn't sleep that night but lay on her side watching Owen breath deeply. They were both lying in bed on their sides facing each other. Owen had fallen asleep about one hour ago, and Toshiko forced herself to stay awake to hear him breath. To feel his living breath on her skin. To remember this moment forever even if he didn't know about it.

"You really don't know how much I love you Mr Owen Harper," She whispered as she stroked his cheek. She gently touched his lips and suddenly a tough skinned hand grabbed hers.


Ianto snuggled unconsciously closer into Jacks body. They had fallen asleep together in Jacks bed underneath the Torchwood hub. They were tangled in a thin quilt and each others bodies. Jack looked down at Ianto's face and stroked it with his other hand. He carefully ran his fingers through Ianto's soft hair, Ianto stirred and flipped onto his back and Jack regretted the action. Not because of the fact that Ianto was now laying on his arm, but because Jack had interrupted Ianto in his peaceful sleep. Jack slowly struggled and removed his arm from underneath Ianto's body. Ianto's eyelids fluttered and slowly opened, Jack swore under his breath. Ianto turned on his side again and wrapped his arms around Jacks stomach, as Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you,"

"It's okay," Ianto smiled, "I don't mind," Jack smiled slightly at Ianto's caring personality.

"You're so lovely Ianto," Ianto blushed, "I'm being serious. You don't care what the stakes are for you, as long as other people are happy,"

"I guess that other people being happy, makes me happy on the outside, Sir, even if not on the inside,"

"What do you mean, not on the inside?" Jack pulled one of his 'huh?' faces and Ianto quickly replied;

"Oh don't worry, forget I said it,"

"No Ianto, tell me," Jack sat up. He removed the arm he held around Ianto and puffed up the pillow behind him and leant against it. Ianto sat up and Jack allowed him to huddle into his body, "what's wrong?"

"I've been thinking about what you said to me earlier today, before Owens scan,"

"Mm?"

"And I want to say sorry,"

"For what?"

"For being able to die,"

"Ianto-"

"This is cursed, Jack. What we are doing right now, lying here, breathing in our breath, sweat, and each other's odours. It's cursed, Jack. It's wrong,"

"Ianto…"

"But to be honest Jack, I really don't care,"

"But to be honest Ianto, I really don't understand," Jack mimicked Ianto and they both laughed.

"You will live forever; you will love other people apart from me. I am just your love for this lifetime, but I don't care Jack,"

"That's not true, I will always, always love you," Jack looked down at Ianto as Ianto looked up.

"It is true Jack. Don't be guilty about it. You cannot avoid the truth. But the truth makes me happy on the outside. What makes me happy on the inside; is knowing that I have been loved by you Captain Jack Harkness. And knowing that if you ever love anyone else, which you will, that you are happy, which will make my happiness last forever,"

"Thank you Ianto. But to be honest, you're talking bull shit," Ianto looked up at Jack with sadness beneath his eyes, covered by confusion, Jack answered Ianto's sorrows, "I will never ever love anyone else the way I love you. You are the first person to accept me, to like me for who I truly am. And I thank you for that,"

"Anytime," Jack leaned in for a kiss with Ianto which he could not avoid any longer.


Toshiko let out a small scream before her hand was released and instead her mouth was covered. Owen opened his eyes and smiled. The hand was removed from Toshiko's mouth.

"Owen! You scared the shit out of me!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to,"

"That's okay," Owen smiled and leaned forward for a powerful kiss with Tosh and flipped her onto her back with him on top. He swung one leg either side of her body and pinned her arms down with his knees,

"Owen? What are you doing?" Owen began to tickle Toshiko until she laughed shrill screams which could possibly deafen Owen,

"Okay I'll stop, if you stop screaming!"

"Deal!" Owen flipped off Toshiko and lay on his back. He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close. She leant into his body and tangled their legs together,

"You know what Tosh?"

"Nope, but you are probably going to tell me," Toshiko giggled at her own joke, and Owen laughed.

"I have an idea on how much you love me, but I'm sure I love you more," Owen kissed Toshiko on the head,

"To be honest Owen, I very much doubt it,"


"Do you think we should call Tosh?" Ianto sat up at Jacks words to look at him,

"Why?"

"To see if Owen is okay,"

"Jack," Ianto grabbed Jacks hand under the quilt, "its three o'clock in the morning!" Ianto let go of Jacks hand and rolled over onto his side to go back to sleep.

"But if I were Tosh, and you were Owen," Jack fell onto his side and cuddled up next to Ianto, wrapping his arms around Ianto's waist. Ianto knew at once Jack was going to manipulate him, "I would stay awake all night just to watch you breath, to see you peaceful, and to catch you smile as you dream,"

"Thank you Sir," Ianto said as he had nothing else to say. He turned his head and looked at Jack, realised that they were both blushing and looked away again.

"Anytime," Jack kissed the top of Ianto's head, threw the quilt off himself, stood up and got out of bed,

"Where are you going?" Ianto sat up quickly and covered himself in the thin quit, not wanting to feel too exposed, even if it was in front of Jack. Jack turned to face his concerned other-half.

"I'm just going to get the phone,"

"You're convinced she will be awake then?" Ianto said in a defeated tone.

"Not entirely, but if not I'll have to wake her won't I?" Jack said matter-of-factly

"I'm sure she'll love that…" Ianto whispered in an extremely sarcastic tone, as Jack turned away hoping he wouldn't hear him.

"Mmm...I doubt it," Jack turned around and winked at Ianto making him blush. The wink told Ianto he couldn't hide any thing from Jack even if it was just a whisper, and didn't Ianto know it!?


"What's going to happen to me Tosh?"

"I don't know…"

"Am I going to survive this?"

"Yes,"

"How do you know?"

"I don't,"

Toshiko and Owen were still tangled together underneath the quilt. Toshiko had her head resting on Owens chest with her had resting just under his neck. Owen had his arm around Toshiko's body and his hand was gripping onto the quilt, wrapping it around both of their bodies.

"What was that thing inside of Bobby? Inside of me?"

"Jack said it was something that he had never seen before. But he believed that it was something from the dawn of time, something which that would never be remembered, yet never really forgotten,"

"Well that bloody helps, Jack and his bloody riddles," Tosh laughed,

"I know. He did say that he has an idea of how it actually got inside of you in the first place,"

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that."

"Well…this is going to sound very disgusting, but he thought it might be like worms. You know if you have been outside and you pick up dirt on your fingers and then eat…"

"Eurgh!"

"Can you think of anytime's where you haven't washed your hands before eating in the past 6 months?"

"Hmm…No."

"Well Jack said that it may have infected an alien and we didn't know about it because it would have been so small at that time," Tosh said in her geeky intelligent voice, "So you may not have washed some of your instruments up properly, maybe touched them and eaten something,"

"Oh God, as easy at that?"

"As easy as that,"

"So I could have maybe just picked up a scalpel and put it down, not having done anything with it. And then ate something!"

"Yeah,"

"Oh God. That means that anyone out there could be infected!"

"Jack said that he has looked closely at the beetle which was inside Bobby, and he said that they are rare,"

"How did he work that out?"

"It didn't seem like it had very good survival chances when it was alive. Yours and Bobby's just got lucky,"

"Oh good, at least it won't infect a lot of innocent people then,"

"Mm…"

"It seems like the way that it can be infected, or picked up, is very human,"

"Yeah, that's what Jack said,"

"God…"

"What is it Owen?"

"I'm so scared; I could die at any moment…"

"No you can't, Owen. Only when the Beetle is full size," Toshiko said, trying to comfort Owen but not doing her best.

"And that could be now! I could explode and I would leave all of my blood and brains all over this room, all over you…"

"That won't happen Owen!" Toshiko sat up and Owen followed. Tosh put her hand on Owen's leg and rubbed it comfortingly.

"But it could,"

"And I wouldn't care about the blood and guts over me! All I would care about is the fact that you died! Don't worry about me Owen. I would have a hundred corpses surround me, and their brains hanging off me, if it were to keep you alive. I would be tortured; I would even be killed if it were to keep you alive. This is how much I love you Owen,"

"Tosh…don't say those things," Tears were spilling down Toshio's face. Owen grabbed a tissue box off the bedside table and carefully wiped Toshiko's tears away.

"But its true Owen, I love you more that you will ever know. I adore you, you are my world," Toshiko's phone rang interrupting her tears. Toshiko picked her mobile up and the screen name read Jack.

"It's Jack,"

"Answer it," Toshiko nodded and answered the phone whilst quickly wiping her tears away,

"Jack,"

"Tosh? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine,"

"What's the matter…are you crying?"

"Me? No…" Toshio subconsciously sniffed, letting Jack know that she was indeed crying,

"Yes you are what's the matter?"

"Owen and I were just talking…"

"Oh…How is Owen?"

"He's fine! Fine, just fine…" Owen kissed Toshiko loudly on the cheek at this point "Owen!"

"He sounds more than fine to me, did you tell him about the beetle?"

"Yes,"

"Good, so shall I leave you now? Or do you want to talk about what is upsetting you?"

"No, I'm fine," Owen shouted down the phone: "Because she is with me!" Toshio shoved him hard and he nearly fell off the bed

"I know Owen; she will always be okay when she is with someone who loves her. Right, I'll leave you too it because Ianto owes me some money,"

"Why?"

"We made a bet that you will not be awake because it's 3 o'clock in the morning,"

"Is that the time!"

"Yeah, and I expect you in work at four,"

"What!?"

"I'm joking, I'm joking…come in when you are ready. Rift activity seems pretty low,"

"Okay, we'll be in at 8," Tosh looked at Owen and saw his jaw drop, "Owen says he will be in at half seven," Owen yet again interrupted them, "Did not!" Tosh heard Jack laugh,

"Tell you what, both come in at 9. My treat I'll call Gwen and tell her to be in at 9 instead of 8,"

"Okay Jack. We'll see you tomorrow,"

"See you,"

"Bye," Toshiko hung up and placed the phone on her bedside table and turned to talk to Owen, "Yeah, Jack told me that I can go in at 9 and he wants you in at 5," Owen thought to himself, two can play at that game,

"Well...I had best get out of bed now then," And before Toshiko could stop him he had rolled over and stood up out of bed. Toshiko scrambled to her feet and chased Owen down the corridor. She jumped onto Owens back and he ended up giving her a piggy back all the way to the bedroom and onto the bed. Where they stayed all morning. Twisted in each other. Until they awoke at 7.


A/N: I didn't really know where I was going with this chapter. I didn't want too much Jack/Ianto. Because it is a Tosh/Owen story But I just couldn't avoid it! I knew that I wanted Tosh and Owen to have a talk about Owens fate and I wanted to let people know how the beetle got there in the first place.

So,

Review if you like. I wouldn't mind it.

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Thankyou for reading

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